Destiny's True Path
by ShadowsDark
Summary: We all know how things are 'supposed' to go. What if that was only a facade? What if the truth of what is was far different? What is Destiny's True Path for Usagi? (not UxM) Prologue added and rewrite planned.
1. Devestation and Hope

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all it's characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, I am only borrowing them. The same goes for Ranma ½ and it's characters, which belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

This fic is set in an alternate universe, where things appear to be the same on the surface, but the reality is quite different.

Prologue - "Devastation and Hope"

_ 'The path to Crystal Tokyo is set. Finally, the Silver Millennium will rise again. Finally, I can lay my ghosts to rest.' _Setsuna Meioh, Sailor Pluto, Guardian of the Gates of Time stood at her post looking out at the glittering spires of the future city. All was peaceful and calm.

A slight shudder, more heard then seen vibrated through the city. A second, stronger one followed. A third caused the crystal towers to crack across their surfaces.

"No!" Sailor Pluto screamed, frantically calling upon her powers to try and stabilize the timeline. "Crystal Tokyo _must _come to pass! It must!" Her efforts stopped nothing, and she could only collapse to her knees and watch as the city she had worked so long to ensure would rise crumbled to dust and vanished without a trace.

"Why?" she whispered. "What could cause such complete devastation? I must know. I must find who destroyed Crystal Tokyo. Perhaps all is not lost, maybe if I remove them, Crystal Tokyo will reappear." Now firm with determination, she rose to her feet and began searching the timestream, trying to isolate the source responsible for the destruction of her dream. When she found it, many hours later, she almost couldn't believe it.

"Usagi? How could Usagi destroy Crystal Tokyo?" Frowning, she followed the current timeline as best she could, trying to make sense of the many branches that split off then rejoined. She came to a large nexus, where many of the potential futures joined. She looked into it, and stared in awe.

"How could I have missed this?" she whispered. "How could I have been so blind?" She looked at the glorious future more closely, and realized that there were many variations on it. Most just varied in minor details, but some, though just as bright were vastly different from the rest. "Why are there so many futures? There should be just one, the future must be guided to it's proper path, not left to the random decisions of..the...people." Her voice trailed off as an old, old memory surfaced. _'"Do you, Setsuna Meioh, agree to take on the responsibilities of the role of Sailor Pluto? Do you swear to protect the Gates of Time from all who would try to use them? Do you swear to guard the timestream against all interference, leaving the future to the people who live it? Do you also swear to find your successor and train her when you find yourself tempted to break any part of this Oath?" "Yes, your Majesty. I, Setsuna Meioh, do so swear. My life, soul and power shall be yielded unto you should I break this Oath." "Then rise, Sailor Pluto."' _

"My Oath. How could I have forgotten it?" Her face firmed, and she closed her eyes. "It is far past time that I passed on this post. I only can pray that Usagi will show me the same mercy she has shown her enemies." She realized that she was feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time. Uncertainty. Yet mixed with her uncertainty was a large amount of something else she hadn't felt for a long time.

Hope.

I've been stuck on Chapter 6 for a long time now, and I realized that to go where I wanted to go, I needed to rewrite parts of the story so far. This prologue came out of that realization, and the fact that I really needed one for this story. Most of the story will remain the same, but parts of it here and there will be redone, and I may scrap a chapter or two and rewrite them completely. Hopefully, this will enable me to get around the sticking point and get going again. I am not going to give any kind of estimate for how long each chapter is going to take, it's the start of the holiday season and I work retail. I'm going to be exhausted for the next two months, so don't expect anything soon, but I may surprise myself.

As always, reviews and constructive suggestions are welcome, flames will be used as a heat source.

Shadows Dark


	2. Setting the Stage

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all it's characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, I am only borrowing them. The same goes for Ranma ½ and it's characters, which belong to Rumiko Takahashi, when they show up later on.

This fic is set in an alternate universe, where things appear to be the same on the surface, but the reality is quite different.

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Chapter 1 - "Setting the Stage"

'I am Tuskino Usagi. I am Eternal Sailor Moon. I am Princess Serenity. I am Neo-Queen Serenity, or rather, I will be. I have known whom I am destined to marry since I was 14 years old. I know what my only child will look like. I cannot explain to my parents why I keep falling asleep in class, they wouldn't believe me unless I transformed in front of them, and then Daddy would try and protect me from ... myself I guess. Normalcy has been in short supply in my life, and I treasure it while I have it. Galaxia has been defeated, so now I must wait for the next enemy to come along, and then the next, and the next, and the next...it never ends. I do not know if I can bear to see all of my Senshi, my protectors, my friends, my sisters die in front of me yet again. Once was bad, twice was hideous, I could not bear a third time. There has to be a better way of dealing with these enemies. I've been having dreams lately, dreams of the Silver Millennium, and I have learned a few things that I have yet to share with Luna, or my Senshi. In my dreams, I am in a practice room, learning how to fight, but I have the sense that it's something that I'm not supposed to do. If only I could remember more! I do remember one thing though. One thing that Sailor Pluto has seemingly forgotten. The future is not carved in stone. And the post of Sailor Pluto was to guard the time-stream against interference, from all beings, even herself. I shall speak with her soon. The time has come, and long since, to appoint a new Sailor Pluto. It is time for Meioh Setsuna to place her Time Key in the hands of her successor. I shall ask Rei to do a fire-reading to locate the one who can handle the job, without it corrupting her. I need to get back before Luna notices that I'm gone. She'd never believe me being out of bed at 4 in the morning to practice fighting, nor would she want me to...which is why I must do it in secret. I may be the Princess, but I will not stand by idly and let my Senshi die! Never again!' 

Usagi re-read her latest journal entry. '_It is almost time to revel all to Luna. Then, Mamoru and I...we can stop pretending. After Sailor Pluto has been replaced. Then I can revel one of the greatest secrets that I have remembered from the Silver Millennium. Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion appeared to be deeply in love with each other. They did love each other deeply, but as brother and sister, not as a man and a woman. Yes, it is almost time.'_ Usagi rises and tucks her journal into the hiding spot she found in a tree in the park she practices in. As she does, she glances at the sky.

"Oh no! Dawn is breaking! I have to get home now!" she exclaims and runs off home. As she runs, she remembers, again, how during the Silver Millennium, she lived two lives. That of Princess Serenity, a cheerful, happy go-lucky airhead....and that of Kei, the hidden commander of the guard. '_I had to keep my knowledge hidden from Mother. She felt such things were not appropriate for royalty to learn. She felt that knowing how to work the [Silver Crystal] was enough, that fighting and war craft should be left to the Senshi and the Guard. I had to condition myself, set triggers so that when I was Princess Serenity, no hint of Kei came through. I can remember that, but I can't remember the trigger! I died as Princess Serenity, and I am stuck like that. There is only so much I can do before the conditioning takes over. I'm only able to practice in secret, and I cannot tell anyone, the words will not come out of my mouth. I need all of my memories back!'_

Usagi walks up to her house and quietly unlocks the door and slips inside. Silently and swiftly she heads up to her bedroom, and goes inside. She quickly changes out of her workout clothing, back into her pajamas, lets her hair down, then crawls into bed, careful not to disturb Luna.

"Usagi." Luna said quietly. Usagi didn't respond. "Usagi, I know you're awake, I saw you come in. What's going on?"

Usagi sighs and sits up. "I cannot tell you yet Luna. The time is not yet right. Soon though. Very soon."

"Usagi..." 

"No, Luna. I am not going to tell you yet, and that is final. Do I make myself clear?" As Usagi spoke, a faint glimmer of light from the window reflected off the crescent moon slowly forming on her forehead, and her voice was calm, and regal, yet steely.

"Y-yes, perfectly clear." Luna sounded slightly shaken as she replied. "I'm just worried about you."

"There is no need for worry." The crescent moon came fully into view and began to glow slightly. "I have everything under control. You will understand when the time is right. Now, sleep, Luna, sleep and worry no more." As she spoke, the glow of the symbol on her forehead grew brighter, and flared up on the word 'sleep'. A small beam of light came from it and struck Luna on her crescent moon, putting her instantly to sleep. "Dear Luna, I am sorry, but the time is not right yet. You will see." The symbol faded away as Usagi snuggled down into her blankets, swiftly falling asleep. "You will see." She murmured as she slipped into dreams.

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End Chapter 1

So...what'd you think? Let me know. The crossover part of this story will start in the next chapter. 

Shadows Dark


	3. Something's Different

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all it's characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, I am only borrowing them. The same goes for Ranma ½ and it's characters, which belong to Rumiko Takahashi, when they show up later on.

This fic is set in an alternate universe, where things appear to be the same on the surface, but the reality is quite different.

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Chapter 2 - "Something's Different"

'Finally! I have got_ to remember the trigger for the conditioning. It's so frustrating to know the answers, yet be unable to voice them, or write them down, or even seem to pay attention in class!' _Usagi thought as she left school, having had to stay after for detention...again. _'Now I need to go to the shrine and talk to Rei-chan about the fire-reading I need her to do.' _Usagi decided to walk to the shrine, rather than take the bus, able to justify it to the conditioning by 'planning' on doing some window shopping. As she walked, she continued to think about her situation. _'It's rather ironic, in a way. I am imprisoned, and no one knows except for me, because I am my own captor. Well, Mamoru knows, as we've discussed how we truly feel for each other, and some about my memories. We were both so afraid of hurting the other that it took us a good four hours to get it out that we feel as brother and sister, not as lovers. We maintain the pretense in public, as we don't know yet how to free me. Once we do though, we can finally stop pretending, finally be true to ourselves...and our friends.' _

Usagi looked up from her musings to realize that she had reached the steps leading to the shrine proper. "Well, here goes." She muttered under her breath as she began to climb the many stairs. As she reached the top, she could hear the rhythmic sound of the stones in front of the shrine being swept clean. Sure enough, Rei stood there in her miko's clothing , sweeping the stones.

"Rei-chan!" Usagi called as she climbed the last step. "I need to talk to you."

"What now? You going to try to get me to loan you my manga collection again?" the dark haired miko said in response, pausing in her sweeping. "I have chores to do. I can't take the time to gossip with you, Usagi-chan." She said as she returned to her chore, clearly indicating that the conversation was over.

"Senshi of Mars." Usagi said in a smooth, regal voice, as her symbol slowly began to shine on her forehead. "You _will_ attend to me. This is a serious matter." At the first word, Rei glared up from her sweeping, then froze, the broom clattering to the ground, her retort dying unspoken at the sight of her princess' forehead. 

"Yes, Serenity-hime." Rei said quietly, inclining her head out of respect. 

"Let us go to the shrine, this is a sensitive matter, and it would not do to be overheard."

"As you command." Rei led the way to the shrine, opening the door for her princess, then sliding it shut behind her.

"I need you to do a fire-reading for me, Rei-chan." Usagi said in her usual voice. "It is very important, and deals with a very delicate matter. It will probably take you some time to find the answer I require."

"And what would that be, Usagi-chan?" Rei inquired.

"You must locate the one who is to be the next Sailor Pluto."

"What!? But Setsuna is Sailor Pluto!"

"Yes, she is, but she has been at her post for far to long. I have remembered some more from the Silver Millennium. One of the things I have remembered was that no Sailor Pluto was allowed to remain at her post for more than a thousand years. It is a hard, lonely, thankless job. Many cannot bear it for more than a century. Setsuna, even though she has done remarkably well considering the amount of time she has witnessed, has begun to fail in her primary duty."

"What do you mean? I thought her duty was to ensure that Crystal Tokyo was the future."

"No. The primary duty of Sailor Pluto is to guard the time-stream against all interference, to make sure that the future is determined by the people of the past and present, and that no one sets the future for them. By trying to ensure Crystal Tokyo, she has broken part of her oath. I do not blame her for it. With her future sight, she could easily see many of the futures of the world. And, over time, gave into temptation to nudge things away from the dark futures, and towards what she thought was the best future. I can understand that, but that does not mean that I will allow it. Thus, it is time for Setsuna to retire, and the post of Sailor Pluto to be passed on. Which is where you come in, Rei-chan."

"I understand Usagi-chan. I'll do my best."

"Thank you, Rei-chan. I knew I could count on you." Usagi rose to her feet, and headed for the door. "I have to go home now, Mama's probably wondering where I am. Contact me once you have an answer. Until then." With that, Usagi left the shrine, and headed for home.

"Until then...." Rei said softly, her mind awhirl with thought _'She's different somehow...more mature. It's not just that she's growing up, it's something more. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know I am willing to believe that _this_ Usagi could be the Queen of the world. I wonder if the others have noticed anything. I'll have to contact them and find out. Odd how when there's no threat, we drift apart some, I haven't talked to any of the Senshi aside from Usagi outside of our weekly meetings in weeks, yet we used to be so close. Usagi truly is the heart, and the soul of the Senshi. Without her, we are lost.' _ With those thoughts on her mind, Rei returned to her chores, determined to finish them early so she could get started on the fire-reading her princess wanted.

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End Chapter 2

Ok, so no Ranma in this chapter. It took longer than I thought to do the scene with Rei. Next chapter, I promise. Reviews are always welcome, flames with be laughed at, printed out, and used as kindling.

Shadows Dark


	4. Training and New Friends

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all it's characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, I am only borrowing them. The same goes for Ranma ½ and it's characters, which belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

This fic is set in an alternate universe, where things appear to be the same on the surface, but the reality is quite different.

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Chapter 3 - "Training and New Friends"

Usagi struggled to do the forms that had come to her in her dreams this past night. She could remember them, but slightly fuzzily, well enough to know that she wasn't doing them correctly, but not well enough to correct her mistakes. "Damnit! Why can't I get this right? I _know_ this."

"Yer off balance, an' yer arm's overextended." Said a male voice, from fairly close by. "Ya need to put more of yer weight on yer rear leg, an' pull yer arm in about 3 cm." 

Startled, Usagi opened her eyes and looked towards the voice. She saw a young man about her own age, dressed in a red, sleeveless Chinese shirt, loose black pants that were tied at the ankle, and soft slippers. He had his black hair pulled back into a braided pigtail that rested between his shoulder blades, and stormy blue eyes that looked old, almost jaded, peered out from under his bangs. He was standing on a tree branch about 3 meters off the ground, leaning against the trunk. She closed her eyes again, and tried what he had said. This time, the form flowed perfectly.

"Thank you." She said opening her eyes again, looking up at him. "How did you know what I was doing wrong?"

"I'm the best martial artist in the world. Martial arts is my life." He said cockily, almost arrogantly, yet Usagi caught a slightly bitter undertone in his voice.

"Really? Would you be willing to help me train then? I know that there's a lot I'm doing wrong, but I don't know how to fix it."

"Lemme see what yer doin' first, then I'll tell ya if I can help ya." He said, slightly hesitant.

"Alright." Usagi closed her eyes again, and started with the simplest of the forms she had remembered. She concentrated on doing it right, rather than speed, knowing that a slow, well-executed form would make a better impression than a quick, sloppily done one would.

The young man watched intently, as Usagi flowed from one form to the next. They were done well, but there were definite flaws in them. Unaware to either of them, the young man had begun to quietly murmur the names of the forms as she went from one to the next. "Cat's Play to Stalking Prey to Flowing Strike to Eagle's Flight, end it with Drawing Down the Moon." Usagi held the end pose for a moment, she was on one knee, her left arm behind her, her foot on what would be her opponent's chest, her right hand positioned to deliver a knife hand to her opponent's throat. She opened her eyes, and rose to her feet, looking towards the young man, who gracefully dropped from the tree branch to the ground and strode over to her.

"How much trainin' have ya had before?"

"This is going to sound odd, but, in this life, none."

"Whaddya mean 'in this life'?"

"I can't go into detail, but, in a past life I was a warrior, and recently, I've been having dreams of the training I did then. I've been trying to train on my own, but I don't know enough to correct my mistakes."

"Huh. Yeah, that _does_ sound kinda odd. Not the oddest thing I've come across, but it's up there."

"Then what's the..." Usagi's voice trailed off as a sudden, brief rain shower happened, and the young man in front of her turned into a red haired, busty young woman.

"Aww, crap. Thought I'd left this crap behind me in Nermia." She groused. "Well, come on. Get it over with." She said as she closed her eyes and braced herself.

"Get what over with? Just what happened to you, anyway?"

"Ya mean yer _not_ gonna hit me, or scream at me, or call me a freak or nothing?"

"No. Why would I? You haven't given me reason to."

"Even though I changed into a girl in front of you?"

"Seen weirder things."

"Oh."

"So why do you turn into a girl?"

"It's all my stupid Pop's fault. He dragged me to a training ground in China, without knowing Chinese, and got me cursed. Well, he got cursed too. It's a water based curse. Cold water turns you into your cursed form, an' hot water turns you back."

"I'm sorry. It must be awful to have a curse like that."

"Yeah, it sucks. How come yer bein' so nice to me, anyway?"

"Huh? What do you mean? All I've done is listen to you explain what happened. It's not your fault you got cursed, it doesn't make any sense to take it out on you." 

"Which is more than anyone's done fer me, ever."

"What about your friends? Surely they listen."

"What friends? All I got is people chasing me, all of 'em wanting something from me, not caring what I want."

"It must be very lonely, living like that."

"It is."

"My name is Tuskino Usagi. Would you like to be friends?" Usagi said, extending a hand to the drenched red head in front of her.

"Ya mean you want to be my friend, even knowin' that I'm a freak?"

"Like I said, it's not your fault. There's no reason to hold it against you."

"OK Usagi." A small hand reached out and clasped hers. "I'm Saotome Ranma. It'd be real nice to have a friend."

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End Chapter 3

Well, Ranma's made his appearance. Reviews are always welcome, along with constructive suggestions on how to improve my writing. Flames will be laughed at, printed out, and used as a heat source when it gets cold.

Shadows Dark


	5. Memories and News

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all it's characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, I am only borrowing them. The same goes for Ranma ½ and it's characters, which belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

This fic is set in an alternate universe, where things appear to be the same on the surface, but the reality is quite different. In this chapter, I explain _my_ version of the Silver Millennium, and my version of it's fall. It is similar to the manga canon, but not the same. Oh, for timelines, in the Sailor Moon storyline, Usagi began having the dreams about 3 months after Galaxia's defeat, and it has been about a year total since Galaxia. The Inner Senshi are all 17 and in the second year of high school. In the Ranma storyline, Ranma had been at the Tendo's for a week before he met Usagi, so he and the Tendo's are the ages they were at the beginning of the series.

That out of the way, on with the chapter!

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Chapter 4: "Memories and News"

_'I am getting tired of this false life. I cannot act in any major way against the conditioning. I think the only reason I was only able to keep doing the kata was because Ranma had already seen me doing it. I hope he comes again today, I truly need help with this, but it's coming to me more clearly in my dreams. I remember now that each Queen and Princess had a personal name, and that Serenity was used as part of our titles. My personal name was Bara, which meant 'rose'. I suppose that's why I choose Kei to be my name when I was working with the guards. After all, what's a rose without thorns?' _

Usagi set aside her journal, and rose to her feet. It was time to begin her training. _'It'll be nice when I don't have to do this before dawn.'_ she mused to herself. Just as she was finishing up her stretches, a female voice called out to her.

"Hey, Usagi-chan! Want me at help ya again today?" said a familiar looking redhead.

"Ranma! Sure, I can use the help." Usagi said cheerily with a bright smile. "Any advice for me to start with?"

"Yeah. Get rid of the pigtails. They're a huge disadvantage in combat. They'll just get in yer way, or yer enemy will use 'em against ya."

"I guess you're right. I've been wearing them like this my whole life, so I guess it is time for a new style." Usagi reached up and let down the buns and pigtails. Her hair actually pooled on the ground a little bit, it had gotten that long. "So what should I do with it? I don't think just a braid with work, my hair's to long."

"Maybe if ya put it into a couple of braids and then pin 'em up somehow."

"Mmm. That _might_ work." For the next few minutes, Usagi plaited her hair into two long French braids. When she was done, the tips of the braids were a bare inch above the ground. She then wrapped the braids around her head, twisting them together into a large knot at the base of her skull. "How's this?"

"It could come undone real easy. Try somethin' else." Usagi frowned briefly, then brightened as she thought of a style she'd seen on the cover of a magazine. She undid the two plaits, then divided her hair into multiple little sections and braided them tightly against her head. She then took the many tiny braids and wove them together into a sort of crown on her head.

"Well?'

"That should work. Ya look almost like some sorta warrior princess." As soon as the words left Ranma's mouth, Usagi gasped and sunk to her knees, clutching her head. "Usagi? Usagi, what's goin' on?"

"..._remembering..._I'm remembering _everything_ now." Usagi slowly lowered her hands, and shifted so she was sitting. "I'm fine Ranma. Apparently, the combination of the different hairstyle and your words was enough to trigger my full memories of my past life. I remember who I truly am now. Who I was, who I am, and I know who I will be."

"Uhhh, I'm kinda lost here Usagi."

"Remember how I told you that I was a warrior in a past life?"

"Yeah."

"That's not all I was. I just had _all_ of my memories awaken."

"So...who are you now?"

"I'm still Usagi, though I was once known as Princess Serenity, Crown Princess of the Silver Millennium, called Bara by my mother the Queen and my Senshi. To a select few, I was also Kei, a warrior and general, who combined martial arts and magic to a degree never before seen."

"Why did only a few know ya as Kei?"

"It was forbidden for the Princess to learn to fight. The Queen felt that the Senshi and Crescent Guard were all who needed to know, and that the Lunar Royalty need only to know how to use the Silver Crystal. I disagreed."

"Senshi? Crescent Guard? Silver Crystal? What're they?"

"Perhaps I should start from the beginning." Usagi settled herself comfortably on the ground and indicated for Ranma to do the same. "It is a long tale, but will explain much to you.

"Long, long ago, there was a beautiful kingdom on the Moon. It was ruled by Queen Serenity and was known as the Silver Millennium. Back then, the entire Solar System was habitable, and people lived on each planet. Those planets, save Earth, each had their own Princess who was subject to Queen Serenity. Each Princess ruled their planet, and also served as a Senshi. 

"The Senshi were divided into two groups, the Inner Senshi, and the Outer Senshi. The Inner Senshi came from the planets Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus. The Outer Senshi were from Uranus and Neptune. The Inner Senshi served as protectors, instructors, and companions of Princess Serenity. The Outer Senshi were tasked with patrolling the outer bounds of our Solar System to keep watch for invaders. 

"Pluto and Saturn were special cases. Pluto's Princess was charged with guarding the Gates of Time. Her primary charge was to prevent any meddling with the time stream. It was a lonely, demanding job. No one lived on Pluto, so she was alone, always. Saturn's Princess, although ruler of her planet, was rarely called upon to perform her duty as a Senshi. Sailor Saturn was the bringer of Silence. She could wipe an entire planet from existence with just a spoken phrase. Thus, people feared her, and so, she spent the vast majority of her time isolated in her palace. Alone.

"Earth had no Princess, and no Senshi. It was a turbulent world, frequently at war with itself. Due to that, one of the first Queens placed a ban upon contact with Earth. Visiting Earth, or contacting it in any way was strictly forbidden. The ban would be lifted when Earth had unified itself, and had stayed that way for a century. The year before I was born, the ban was lifted, and the people of the Silver Millennium rejoiced. Now, _now_ the Solar System was whole, for Earth had been welcomed with open arms into the Silver Millennium by all the other planets. But not all was good.

"Earth still had no Princess and still no Senshi. Earth's people looked upon the Moon with awe, and envy. The people of the Silver Millennium, though not immortal, lived very long lives. We matured at the same rate, but we could expect to live for more than a millennium, a rare few reached two. So, the people of Earth felt as though they were being looked down upon, because of their shorter lifespan, and their lack of a Senshi.

"At first, they were only a few dissidents. The next year, a few more. And so on. The Queen chose to disregard the warnings of her advisors about them. After all, there were always _some_ people who were never satisfied. Why should the people of Earth complain? They were full citizens, and in a few of their generations, could expect the same lifespan, and would have a Senshi as well. It would take time for the full effects of being exposed to the magical radiation from the Silver Crystal to become apparent. 

"Earth did have a ruler, a King. King Endymion the 6th, and his son, who would be King Endymion the 7th. The Prince was 4 years older than I was, and once the ban had been lifted, we spent a fair amount of time together. King Endymion and my mother began to speak of a marriage between the two of us when I was eight. I found out only because I'd already begun disobeying my mother about what I was and was not permitted to learn, and happened to be exploring the ventilation ducts in that area of the Palace.

"Endymion and I were like siblings. We decided that we would never marry, but we would maintain a façade in front of everyone else. We would pretend to be deeply in love. If we were found out, we would be in a huge amount of trouble. That's when Endymion came up with the idea of mentally conditioning ourselves. When we were doing our act, it had to be real. No slip-ups allowed. So, we conditioned ourselves to act a certain way, depending on a trigger. The trigger for our actions was my hairstyle. 

"Only the Lunar Royalty were permitted to style their hair in the buns and pigtails I was wearing earlier. When I wore the Royal Hairstyle, we were happily engaged to each other, and I was a bright, bubbled-headed Princess who had no interest in fighting. When I wore my hair like this, we were ourselves. Later, I became Kei, a young girl who wanted to join the Crescent Guard, which is how I got my training. At first anyway. One of the instructors figured out who I really was, and pulled me out of the class. Instead, he gave me and Endymion specialized training. I learned to combine the magic that was my birthright with deadly martial skills. Endymion learned how to tap into Earth's latent power, how to use it in combat. We both learned the sword, and how to command during battle. We had both heard the grumbling from Earth, and heeded it.

"All of our preparations came to naught however. All because of a ball. My mother decided to throw a grand ball. Princess Serenity was required to be in attendance. That night, as the Lunar Court laughed and danced, Earth attacked. They were led by a witch named Beryl, who had made a pact with the demon Metallia. They attacked the Inner System first. Mercury, Venus, and Mars fell before we knew anything was wrong. Three planets gone. Devastated. Then they bypassed the Moon and went after the remaining planets. Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn fell. However, Sailor Saturn awoke. The full energies of Sailor Saturn coursed through the body of an 11 year old girl who had no idea how to control them. She aged 7 years in 5 minutes before she was able to take control of herself. She could do nothing, for her powers were locked. Pluto wasn't a main target, as it was uninhabited, and the Gates of Time were kept secret. 

"Then, at last, they came in force to the Moon. They had chosen the time well. The Inner Senshi were all new to their posts, and the Outer Senshi had been sent out on a long patrol of the space just outside our system. One by one, my friends in the Crescent Guard fell. Then my Senshi followed. All trying to protect me, because I was trapped in my own mind, and could do nothing besides scream. Then, Endymion fell. Something inside me broke, and I was able to seize Sailor Venus' sword. Not to wield it against my enemies however. I turned it upon myself, and died by my own hands, full of shame. At last, when she saw my body, my mother finally acted. She called upon the Silver Crystal and sealed Metallia away. She had not spent enough time practicing the spell however, and had to spend most of her life force to make it work. She then summoned the Outer Senshi from their patrol to release Sailor Saturn's powers. 

"The Senshi of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto each had a powerful Talisman. Combined, they acted as a key which would unlock the locks for Sailor Saturn. They did so, and she came. The Senshi of Silence, in all her dark glory. My mother commanded her to bring the Silence down on the Silver Millennium, sparing Earth only, as soon as she had breathed her last. She then used the Silver Crystal one last time, setting a spell to reincarnate the Senshi and as many of the Lunar Court as she could manage. Then, she died, on a broken pillar in what had once been a lush garden. 

"Sailor Saturn raised her glaive, and softly spoke a phrase that meant that her full power, including her entire life force, would be used in the coming destruction. She looked around herself once, closed her eyes, and let her glaive fall. The Silver Millennium was no more.

"I have been trapped in Serenity mode my entire life. I was so deeply trapped, that I had only recently begun to remember the truth. Now though, there is no need to hide myself." Usagi paused and looked to Ranma, who was slightly wide-eyed with all that had been told. "Ranma, I need you to witness something for me."

"Huh? What?"

"I have to do a small ritual to remove the conditioning from myself, and one of the requirements is that someone witness it."

"Ok, sure. Do I gotta do anything special?"

"No, just watch." Usagi stood, and pulled her transformation brooch out. She looked at it for a moment, the turned it over and unclasped the pin. She braced herself, and quickly pierced the tip of her finger with it. She flipped the brooch open, revealing the crystal inside it. She held her bloody finger over it, and began to speak "I am Bara, Princess Serenity, daughter of Queen Serenity." One drop of blood on the crystal. "Queen Serenity is no more." Two, slight glow. "I am Kei, leader of the Crescent Guard." Three, now a stronger glow. "The Crescent Guard is no more." Four, brighter yet. "I am Queen Serenity." Five, very bright. "I am the Crescent General." Six, getting hard to see. "I am both Queen and General, yet neither. I am Serenity, Guardian of the Cosmos." Seven. As the last drop of blood contacted the crystal, it flared into an incandescent sliver light, briefly blinding Ranma. The brooch melted away, leaving only the Silver Crystal. 

The light enveloped Usagi, hiding her from view. When Ranma could see again, Usagi had changed. Gone was the young woman in workout clothing and braids. In her place stood a warrior. She wore silver bracers on her forearms, and a silver breastplate. A skirt made of overlapping sliver plates brushed the tops of her thigh-high white boots. White gloves ran under her bracers to the middle of her upper arms. The only adornment she wore was a silver crown, which was secured to her head by her now silver hair. In the center of her forehead was an upturned silver crescent moon And then there were the wings. The massive, feathered white wings, which were folded behind her. They shimmered softly in the pale pre-dawn light. She held in one hand a slender sword, which had a crescent moon for a cross guard. In the other, she held a simple scepter, in the shape of a wand with a crescent moon on the end of it. In the bottom of the moon, now only glowing dimly, was the Silver Crystal. 

"U-Usagi?"

"Yes, it's still me Ranma. When I'm like this though, call me Serenity." Even her voice had changed. It was rich with music, filled with joy and laughter, yet held sorrow and pain in it's depths. She quirked a small smile. "No more Sailor Moon, I guess. I should change back now." She clasped the scepter tightly, and once again, sliver light hid her from view. When it faded, Usagi stood there, unchanged.

"What was that all about Usagi?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself. All I meant to do was remove the conditioning, but I think that because my mother is dead, the magic forced me to proclaim myself. I'll have to work on figuring everything out." She looked at her watch and gasped. "Later though. I have to get home. See you around Ranma."

"Sure thing Usagi-chan." 

Usagi ran home, stopping at the corner of her street to redo her hair. _'I've gotten used to this style. Plus, it'll just raise to many questions right now if I abruptly change it.'_ She walked into her home, and removed her shoes. "I'm home." She called softly.

"Usagi?" called her mother.

"Yes, it's me Mama."

"Come here, please. Your father and I would like to speak with you."

"Yes Mama." Usagi walked into the living room, where both her parents sat on the sofa_._

"Usagi, your father and I are very concerned about your performance at school. We've talked about it with your teachers and the principal, and all agree that Juban High doesn't seem to be the right school for you."

"What do you mean Mama? I like Juban, all of my friends are there."

"We know, Usagi, but that seems to be part of the problem. We've decided to transfer you to another school, starting tomorrow."

"What? But school's already started."

"The schools agreed to the transfer since school has only been in session for two weeks. It's settled. You'll find your new uniform in your room. Make sure it fits, because tomorrow you start at Furinkan High in the Nermia district."

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My deepest apologies for taking so long with this chapter, I hope it was worth the wait. Next chapter, Usagi meets the students of Furinkan High! I shouldn't take as long with this one. (I hope!)

Reviews are welcome, flames will be used to heat my _very_ cold room. 

Shadows Dark


	6. Changes and Dreams

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and all it's characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, I am only borrowing them. The same goes for Ranma ½ and it's characters, which belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

This fic is set in an alternate universe, where things appear to be the same on the surface, but the reality is quite different.

Chapter 5 - "Changes and Dreams"

"WHAT?!?!" Usagi winced from the volume of the combined shout of everyone present. It was a Senshi-only meeting, so neither Mamoru nor the advisors were there. All the Senshi except Setsuna were present.

"What do you mean by 'I'm not going to be attending Juban High anymore' Usagi?" Rei demanded.

"My parents have decided that the only way to improve my grades is to transfer me to another school. Starting tomorrow morning, I'll be attending Furinkan High in the Nermia District."

"You seem to be taking this rather well, koneko-chan." Haruka observed in the silence that followed.

"There's nothing I can do to change things, so why bother wailing or pitching a fit about it?"

"..."

"U-Usagi?" stuttered Rei "What's changed you so much?" Usagi sighed, then answered.

"I have fully recovered my memories of the Silver Millennium. I can remember my entire life as Bara, Princess Serenity. I also remember the times I spent as Kei, training as a warrior and mage."

"If you trained as a warrior, why are you so ... klutzy?" asked Minako.

"I was klutzy because Princess Serenity was. I died as Serenity and was reincarnated as Serenity. Kei was buried under layers of mental conditioning, because Queen Serenity would have been livid about my training as a warrior. Only Endymion and our instructor knew that Kei and Bara were the same person."

"Then how come Mamoru-san never spoke to any of us about this?" inquired Ami.

"Because he has his own conditioning. Until his is broken, he can only talk to me about it, and only when we're alone. It was to risky otherwise."

"Usagi."

"Yes, Michiru-san?"

"Let me make sure I have this right. During the Silver Millennium, you led two lives, princess and warrior, and you only recently remembered this?"

"I regained my full memories this morning. I've been remembering fragments in my dreams for months, they started a few months after Galaxia. I've been training in secret for about 6 months now, and since the conditioning has been broken, I will be able to use everything I remember."

"So, does this mean a non-clumsy, fighting-capable Sailor Moon?" asked Makoto.

"No."

"What? But..." Everyone chorused.

"Silence." The command in Usagi's voice caused everyone to immediately go quiet. "If you will be quiet, I will explain. Understand?" Everyone nodded. "Sailor Moon was never meant to exist. She was created because of my knowing on a subconscious level that I was a warrior. I was never intended to be a Senshi. Sailor Moon is no more. I have come into my power, and accepted my duty as was destined. I will still fight with you, but I tell you now, _I_ lead."

"If you're not Sailor Moon, who _will _we be following?" asked Hotaru. Usagi simply smiled and stood.

"I'll show you." She closed her eyes, a silver light washed over her form. As it faded, Serenity half-spread her wings and smiled at her Senshi.

"You will be following me." She spoke softly, yet powerfully. "I am Serenity, guardian of the cosmos. " As she spoke, all of the Senshi kneeled and bowed their heads to her. "Rise my Senshi. My sisters. My friends. We have much to discuss." Another wash of silver light, and Usagi stood there.

"I think it's easier for you to talk to me like this, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. When you're transformed, your power is almost overwhelming. It's so ... _bright._" said Rei.

"That's one of the things we need to talk about. You see, I don't exactly transform anymore. I just, well, drop a mask basically. I _am _Serenity, even when I look like this. All I'm doing now is using a glamour spell to alter my appearance and hide my power." Usagi paused, then sighed. "Pretty soon, I'll have to teach you all how to do it. Over the past three years, our bodies have slowly started to change. At this point, only one of us even qualifies as a human anymore. That's you Hotaru, but your changes are accelerating to catch up with the rest of us. You're going to start growing again too. You probably won't stop until you're the equivalent of 16 or so. All of you still look fairly human, and you always will. For you, the glamour spell will be more to hide your power. Once the change is complete, even a normal person would be able to tell that you were very different. You might end up with wings, I don't know. None of my race had wings, I'm not sure why I do now."

"We're turning into aliens?!?" exclaimed Minako.

"Not quite. Every Senshi was a member of her planet's race. You are simply changing into a member of your planet's race again, and only then will you be able to fully unlock your power. There shouldn't be any major physical changes, mostly you'll just feel stronger and more powerful. You will _know _when the change is about to finish, and I strongly suggest you find an isolated place for that to happen. There may be rather spectacular magical manifestations as you fully come into your power."

"Like what?" asked Makoto.

"Well, you might cause lightning to come out of a clear sky, or be struck be it but not hurt. Rei may suddenly be bathed in flame. Ami could cause any nearby water, including water pipes, to freeze. Michiru may cause the sea to surge. Any of these could happen, or none of them, or other things entirely."

"Oh." Said Makoto. Everyone was quiet for a moment, thinking about the possible events.

"Rei-chan? Have you had any success with that fire reading?" asked Usagi after a minute.

"huh? Oh. Yes, I have. I know who you are looking for. I know that you will meet her soon, and that you will recognize her for who she is. You will need to lay everything out for her and hold nothing back. She will accept it, after you prove to her the truth of your words. She is not a warrior, but of warrior blood, and has talent. That's all I know."

"Thank you." Usagi rose, and stretched a bit. "I have to go now, I need to finish getting everything ready for transferring to Furinkan." She walked to the door, and paused. "By the way, thanks for loaning me some of your manga Rei-chan!" She dashed out the door, leaving the Senshi stunned behind her.

"Usagi! Get back here!" Rei shouted as she leapt up and began to chase Usagi around the temple courtyard, swinging a broom and yelling the whole time.

"Well, it's good to see that koneko-chan hasn't completely changed." drawled Haruka after a minute or so.

"Usagi is Usagi. No matter how powerful she is, she is still Usagi." Minako said quietly. "She's still a 17 year old girl, and just as we do, has hopes and dreams outside of her power. We all need to remember those dreams and cherish them." The rest of the Senshi looked thoughtful, then nodded in agreement.

_'Dreams outside of our powers? Yes, even I have them, faded as they are. Maybe, just maybe, I can realize some of them now that my princess has finally grown into her power. Maybe now, I will finally be able to rest.' _thought Sailor Pluto, from her vantage point at the Gates of Time and Space where she had watched the whole meeting. _'Now I have the hope of being able to put down my burden at last.'_

I am deeply sorry that this chapter took so long. I think this is the third re-write of it, and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it. Next chapter Usagi will finally go to Furinkan, I promise. Please review, they give me the impetus I need to write more. Oh, and just as a reminder, this IS an Alternate Universe (AU) fic, so my versions of the characters are NOT the canon versions, they are just based on them, and I changed them as I saw fit. Until next time.

Shadows Dark


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